Improved apparatus for liming hides



No. 48,578-l PATENTED JULY4, 1865. S'. J. MILLER, A. B. BARBTT 6a W. H, STUDY.

APPARATUS PDR LIMING HIDES.'

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UNITED STATES-y rPATENT OFFICE.`

SAMLU. MILLER, ALBERT B; BARNETT, `A'ND WM. H.STUDY, OF ECONOMY, INDIANA. i y

IMPRovl-:D APPARATUS Foe LIMING, HIDES.

. Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 48.578, dated July 4, 1865.

Teelt/whom it may concern:

i lBeiiteknown that we, SAMUEL J. MILLER, ,ALEnr B. BARNETT, and WM. H. STUDY, all of ]1conom.`r,',` Wayne count-y, State of Indiana,

l have invented a new Machine for Liming-Hides; .and we do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had'to the accompanying drawings,'=making' apart of this speecation, in

which?- Fignre l is a verticle section taken throughv the machine from end to end. Fig. 2 is averv`tical transverse section through the machine.

Fig. 3 is a top view withthe driving spurwheel and its shaft removed, Fig. 4 is aview of the circular rack which carries the lever- 1 Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

In the process of liming hides preparatory to depilating them they are subjected for a number of days to the action of lime-liquor in vate, and require to be handled frequently, for the purpose of thoroughly exposing their hair surfaces to the lime, an d`preventing them from becoming compacted ithe'vat. Hithcrto the handling of the hides has been chiefly effected with-hooked poles, which operation required considerable expenditure -of time and labor to perform the work perfectly.

` f AThe object of our invention is to contrive a machine for handling hides in the vat, which consists of racks arranged upon a shaft which is susceptible of being rotated within the limevat, and which can also be elevated out of and supported'above the liquor in the vat at pleasnre,'"a`s will be hereinafter described; also,to combine' a rotating hiderack with a vat which has a semieircular or concave bottom, for the .purpose'of keeping the lime about the hides jduring the liming. process, and enabling us to stir and keep the contents of the vat thoroughly mixed by the motion given to the hides, as will be hereinafter described; also, to provide for applying `hidesof different sizes to the racks at the same or at diierent times, as circumstances may require.

To enable others skilled inthe art to under:` stand our invention, we will describe its con struction and operation'. In the accompanying drawings,-A represents the vat, which may be constructed in the usual thestandards B B' elevated. When elevated V the palls c' c' hold the standards in position and prevent them' from dropping down again.`

yD is a longitudinal square shaft, which-has its bearings in .the standards B B', and which carries three circular Wheels, E E' E, that have a series of hooks, e, arranged at suitable r distances apart around their peripheries, thus forming circular racks for receiving and holding the hides during the `process of liming. The intermediate rack,E', is made of twoparts properly attached together,so that it can be at any time removed from'its shaft D without removing the racks E-andEz, and this rack is alsoprovided with' two rows of hooks for receiving the ends of the hides, which are attached to both of the racks E E2. The lthree racks being appliedtoa 4square shaft they cannottnrn upon this shaft, but they can each be adjusted in a direction with the length of the shaft D by removing the wedge-pins dd d,

and then secured again at any desired distance apart, according to the` size of the hides to be treated.

To the rack E2, a spur-wheel oi.a`bel t=wheel, F, is applied concentric with thel axis-of the shaft D, This wheel receives the teeth-of a spur-wheel, G, which is on the driving-shaft C. This latter shaft has its bearings upon the upperiends of the standardsB B', and onerend of it projects out from standard \`B' and-receives upon it the radially-spoked wheel'H,- which is used for turning the shaft G for lilling the rack with hides when'z it is elevated above the vat, and also for rotatiu g the rack,

. with the hidesupon it, inthe liquor. A number'of radial arms, g g, adapted for receiving a long lever in their ends, are also applied to the rack E for the purpose of assisting in turning the hides or the racks to which they are hung. These arms g g may be used instead of the spur-wheels F and G, or they may be used with these wheels to assist in. starting the lle'd they are allowed to descend into the liqnor in the vat A, as shown in Figs. 1 and -2, where they are repeatedly turned. We do not counelour invention to the use ota vat havinga-concave bottom as the racks may be used advantageously with the tlat-bottomed vats; but welpr'efe'r ftouse-a vat having u a concave bottOm, lfor the I'Ga'SOu that the lime., cannot settlein'sueha form of vat, so as to leave the hides; andwhen the hides are handledor turned in the liquor` they will 'sti up the lime and mix it thoroughly with' the water. When the hides have remained asuviicient lengthvof time in the vatthe frame-work, with its-racks, is again elevated, so that the hides can be readily removed, and at' any time during the process .the hides can-all be lifted out of the liquor for inspection.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. vThe employment of rotatingr hide-racks in the process of liming hides,snbstantially as described.

'12.'Applying hide-racks to' a shaft in. such manner that they can be adjusted and set at diierent distances apart to adapt them to hides of varying sizes, substantially as described.

3. The use of rotating hide-racks in conjunction with a supporting-frame4 which is' susceptible ot' being'elevated or depressed, substantially 'as described.` V

4. A limingvat which-is constructed with a concave bottom. and provided with hide-racks, substantially as described.

SAMUEL J. MILLER. ALBERT B. BARNETT. WM. H. STUDY. Witnesses:

JOSEPH WILLIAMS, A. W. CORLEY. 

